Instant gratification is why 90% of bartenders love their jobs, the job satisfaction of giving someone a good experience is far more rewarding than hitting KPI’s.
Right now our Whiskey Smash. The traditional Whiskey Smash was first invented in 1900 and described in Harry Johnson’s bartender’s manual as “whiskey, sugar, mint, bitters” shaken. Irish whiskey was at the time the top selling and highest regarded spirit in the world.
Our Whiskey Smash is a take on this:
Roe & Co Irish Whiskey, Noilly Prat, Mint and spinach syrup, Orange bitters. Dale de Groff (the grandfather of modern cocktail culture) added lemon to the Whiskey Smash years ago because it needed some acidity. We agree but have found our acidity from a different source. We make a spinach and mint syrup because spinach has an acid in it (oxalic) that is very similar to the acid you find in apples (malic) which gives it that zing. We use a bit of orange bitters to bring it to life. We use Roe & Co Irish Whiskey because of its soft notes of pear.
On New Year’s Eve I blew a bottle of champagne all over the ceiling in MY OWN BAR, after years working for others - that was very gratifying. But really too many to say, I’ve been very lucky to work for the London Cocktail Club (LCC) which was one rock star moment after another. Bringing LCC to top 10 best high volume cocktail bars in the world was a great moment because it was a goal of mine from day one and I don’t think many people thought we would do it. Callooh Callay becoming one of the top four best high volume cocktail bars while I was working as GM was an amazing surprise as well.
I love the movies…..particularly comic book movies, Sci-Fi, action, fantasy and cartoons (love cartoons). I hate scary movies though even thrillers.
Remember that Simpson’s episode when Bart had a “Big Brother”, I think something like that.
How is this the hardest question?! What’s the largest bottle of Irish Whiskey I can get???
When I need to function: Milk Thistle, Dioralyte, Berocca, Glass of water with a pinch of table salt
When I want to see the world burn: a can of coke and bad food.
Bartenders